ICFF and WantedDesign Manhattan 2022 Reflect On The Future Of Design
All eyes will be on New York from 15 to 17 May as ICFF and WantedDesign Manhattan return, this year with a focus on new design approaches, sustainability and the next generation of talent. In the wake of the Covid crisis, Paola Antonelli and Alice Rawsthorn started an Instagram Live series called Design Emergency. May sees the launch of the book that evolved from the conversations they had with problem-solving protagonists. 'Design Emergency: Building a Better Future' will be presented at WantedDesign Manhattan in May.
ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan Talks program kicks off with panelists discussing how design fits into contemporary culture, influences behavioral and social conventions, and can generate a feeling of place or environmental awareness. Reimagine will examine how design is an instrument for conceiving and achieving change.
We can anticipate both established and young designers from around the world to place sustainability front and center of their work as attention to the do-or-die nature of the issue grows. The ECO Solidarity platform, developed by WantedDesign Manhattan and initiated by the Polish Cultural Institute New York and Studio Rygalik, will showcase progress by displaying nine European studios linked by their commitment to the environment. Turf, Mohawk Group, 3M, Ressource+Rezina, Visual Magnetics, and Precious Woods will tackle the need for more salubrious, human-centric interior design as part of Wanted Interiors, sponsored by Ultrafabrics, which will use immersive installations to demonstrate innovative solutions for creating healthy spaces.
The important significance of nature in design and wellbeing will also be evident. ICFF's Norwegian exhibitors Figgjo porcelain and Lundhs stone draw on the natural environment, while many modern makers on WantedDesign Manhattan's Look Book platform – which facilitates matchmaking between designer-makers from across North America and interior designers and architects – incorporate a sense of place into their work. They include Levi Christiansen of Tucson, whose furniture is inspired by the Sonoran desert's tones, forms, and textures, Alfonso Verduzco of Mexico, whose black clay designs take textures from local nature, Canadian Simon Johns, whose pieces are contemplations on the "pure and raw shapes of his surroundings," and Concrete Poetics of Brooklyn, whose beautifully brutal pieces of sculptural furniture are inspired by nature, land, and sea.
Indoor-outdoor living, the most recent pandemic-accelerated living habit, will also get its time in the spotlight. Rodolfo Agrella explored the concept in partnership with sponsors Ligne Roset, Bend Goods, Havwood, wakaNINE, and 3M at Wanted Interior's The Lounge.